Erika Matallana

Erika Matallana brings to our Regional Practice clients more than 15 years of experience as a versatile communications strategist specialized in healthcare Diversity, Equity and Inclusion communications, multicultural marketing and communications, public relations and creative writing.

Prior to joining Jarrard, Matallana served as director of communications for Amedisys, a leading provider of home health, hospice and personal care. There, she led the communications identity, strategy and execution for the hospice division – work that included communications during the COVID-19 pandemic, an organizational restructure, M&A activity and sweeping change management efforts.

Earlier, Matallana spent a decade at HCA Healthcare in several communications roles, including leading the communications strategies and execution for HCA Healthcare’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts. In that capacity, she oversaw development of enterprise-wide messaging, publications and materials in support of diversity and inclusion initiatives for patients in more than 2,000 sites of care and for over 270,000 colleagues across 21 states.

Born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, Matallana moved to the U.S in 2005. Her love for storytelling and strategic writing in both English and Spanish has led her to be recognized nationally and internationally including the Lovell Ethics Advocacy Award. She has a degree in social communications and journalism from Universidad de La Sabana, in Bogotá, and a bachelor’s in public relations management from Belmont University.

Worth Knowing:

1. Can recite most lines from the entire series of the 90’s sitcom, Friends
2. Recorded a single at the age of 16
3. Secretly (or not) judges people who spell her birth country of Colombia with a “U.